


it always is

by narugzb



Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: I Had To, M/M, Pre-Canon, Pre-Relationship, This is unbeta'd, so have mercy on me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-17
Updated: 2020-09-17
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:20:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26511301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/narugzb/pseuds/narugzb
Summary: Yusuf is not annoyed when someone could not or would not braid or even tie their long hair. It is their choice.
Relationships: Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Comments: 11
Kudos: 143





	it always is

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by this beautiful [art](https://nao-fanart.tumblr.com/post/628181740690784256)

Yusuf used to have two sisters and them asking him to braid their hair. He got the skill from her mother. She said Yusuf should treat her future wife if she has long and beautiful hair, she would be happy, just like his father did. Of course, his sisters got the chance to learn how to braid their hair too, but Yusuf did it way better. They always asked Yusuf, even after they have their own husband, living separately from him and their mother and father, they still asked him, and Yusuf would happily do it. Seeing them looking in front of the mirror, admiring Yusuf’s work and the way they beam at him, Yusuf would not want anything else in return, it was always worth every time.

But Yusuf is not annoyed when someone could not or would not braid or even tie their long hair. It is their choice, he reminded himself when he traded his scarf with a comb and few ribbons. He wants to help, he reminds himself when he caught the sight of the other man, the man who has the same fate as him, walking with flowers he collected from mountain. They decided to stay here for a while, earned more money before they start their next journey to anywhere.

When the man - Nicolo, is within earshot, Yusuf asks him to sit on the stone in front of him. He already sat back with his heels and hands waiting.

Nicolo tilts his head to the side, eyes looking, and Yusuf knew it very well. His inside twisted uncomfortably when he saw the expression back on the other man when they both _knew_ they are way past that. When they decided not to do _it_ again, when they decided it only brings nothing to kill one another who cannot die, or after when they decided to become ally. Still, Yusuf holds up his hands, palms empty. “I mean no harm,” 

Yusuf sees Nicolo’s expression change to something resemblance with embarrassment he recognizes. He wants to memorize the look on Nicolo’s face more, but he gets interrupted by the hair covering the sight. His hands itch to do it better when Nicolo roughly tucks his hair behind his ears.

“I knew that. What do you want me to sit for?” Nicolo asks, standing in front of him - the stone between them. He has no other choice to pull out the comb and the ribbon, he looks up to see Nicolo staring back at him.

“Oh,” he says low enough for Yusuf to hear but loud enough for himself.

Yusuf nods, a confirmation to the same thoughts Nicolo having about what he will going to do, “Please, let me.”

Nicolo stares at the comb, the ribbon and Yusuf for a bit longer before he sits on the stone, his back to Yusuf. And he starts his work with easing few small knots of his hair with his fingers before he does straighten with comb. He remembers the last time he saw Nicolo wash his hair was two days ago.

“We could use the comb for now on.” Yusuf says, putting down the comb and puts the ribbon between his lips before moving the next part. With the help of very old memories, he carefully working on Nicolo’s hair. He takes section about the end of his hair on both sides, leaving some hair down near the base, then he twist the hair just like what his mother taught him when she tried to braid the same style on him when his hair touched his shoulder, like it was yesterday.

He is about to tie the ribbon around the hair before remembers that he has not asked Nicolo about having a braid because the man probably sure Yusuf just trying to tie the hair up. He pats the man’s shoulder lightly, “What do you think about having a braid?”

Nicolo moves his head, wanting to turn his head around to look at Yusuf before remembers and go back staring down at his laps, “You can braid my hair?”

Yusuf nods to himself, “Yes. I can tie them simply if you did not want them.”

One hand still holding the ribbon and the other securing the braided hair carefully, he waits, then Nicolo shakes his head slowly. “No, I want them.”

Yusuf then ties the ribbon around, making it sure to do it tightly so the braid won’t get loose soon. Fingers running around the other strands, so it placed perfectly behind Nicolo’s hair. “All done.”

Nicolo immediately trying to reach, to feel his hair with both hands. He stands, fingers delicately tracing the braided hair now. He looks at Yusuf with wide bright eyes, and nice smiles. Yusuf wants to compliment his eyes, his bright blue eyes looks so beautiful under the sun, but then Nicolo runs inside their house.

With flowers that Nicolo picked before in his arms, Yusuf stares at Nicolo who is trying his best to look the back of his head in front of the mirror to catch a sight of the braided hair. When their eyes meet, inside their dark house, Nicolo beams at him.

“Thank you.” 

It's always worth it.


End file.
